Disclaimer: Buffy and Angel and their gang belong to Joss I'm just borrowing them. Matty belongs to me though. The song 'Daddy's all gone' was written by James Taylor.
AN: Everything in bold is a flash back. The first flashback takes place when Matty is four, the others take place a month or so prior to the setting of the story. The stuff in italics are the song lyrics.
DADDY'S ALL GONE
Eight year old Matthew sat at his laptop wearing his resolved face. Matty knew that he was sorry for missing the science fair. But Matty wasn't angry. No of course not. It was just a science fair in which he won first place at the Watchers Academy on why the lunar cycle brings out the wolf in werewolves. The only reason he had even bothered with the stupid topic was to impress his Dad.
Well he impressed a lot of people Grampa Giles, Uncle Wes, Aunt Buffy and Aunt Dawn, Uncle Angel even Uncle Xander and Uncle Spike. Of course he impressed his Mom. Willow Osborne thought that anything her son did 'was the best thing since sliced bread'. Her own words. But he didn't care about impressing any of them.
"What are you doing Bit?"
"Checking my e-mail," Matty replied.
"Well you better hurry for the rest of the nibletts, and everyone else arrives. Your mum would have a fit if you didn't show for the party. It is in your honor after all," Spike told the mini-werewolf/watcher in training.
"It's just a stupid party," Matty scoffed.
"Balls!"
"Spike!" Willow yelled up the stairs. "I told you don't use that language in front of my son. Do it again and I'll turn you into a toad."
"You better listen to her Captain Peroxide. Red's got on her resolve face," Faith called up the stairs
"Your mum can be such a witch," Spike whispered. A ghost of a smile crossed the little boy's face. He had inherited most of his fathers looks -as well as a few other things- but Matty did have his mother's eyes.
"You know he would of been there if he could have Bit."
"But he wasn't," Matty said looking away from Spike.
"Yeah he wasn't and he was a stupid git for not being there. But he had..."
"A prior engagement . I know. Just once I wish I meant as much to him as his thousands of fans!" Matty yelled. It was uncommon for the boy to raise his voice, he usualy spoke mono-tonely using as few syllables as possible. Another aspect in which in took after his father.
"You mean the world to your father. Take it from someone who's Dad wasn't around. You want to hear something sad Bit? As my sire Angel was a better father to me then my own. Angel stuck around, well until he was cursed with his soul, that. But when he was Angelus he was there, granted he tried to steal Dru from me. But the four of us Angelus, Darla, Dru and I were a family, ah the time we had killing family after..."
"Uncle Spike," Matty said pulling Spike out of his reminiscing.
"Right. And what we did then was wrong. Make no mistake about it, and thanks to me shiny soul I feel horrible about it. 'S why I spent three months in a basement trying to rip it out and why Captain Forehead spent decades living off of rats, until he became a real boy," Spike said.
"Uh huh," Matty replied.
"Where was I?" Spike asked.
"I mean the world to my father," Matty answered.
"Right. You mean the world to your Dad," Spike repeated, Matty looked at the vampire doubtfully. "Okay look. The next time your Dad acts like a ponce I'll rip him a new one. How's that sound?"
"You're the best Uncle Spike," Matty said trying not to grin.
"Damn right I am. Better than Peaches any day of the week. He wears lifts you know," Spike told the boy.
"I know," Matty said humoring the vampire. Matty loved his Uncle Spike he really did. He was like the crazy uncle who let you play with fire -as long as you didn't set him on fire- and drink from his hipflask.
"Well Bit I'd best go help your mum before she turns me into a toad," Spike said getting up.
"Kay," Matty said returning to his computer. Matty clicked on the Inbox icon. He didn't recognize the e-mail address, but his curiosity got the better of him and he clicked on it. He figured it wouldn't be one of his schoolmates playing a prank on him by sending him a curse via e-mail, it was so last semester.
The e-mail contained one sentence and a link.
"I thought you might like to see this." The sentence read. Matty clicked on the link below. It was a video apparently. It took it a few minutes to load, but once it had finished Matty clicked play.
On stage a man with short read hair appeared with a guitar. He stood in the spotlight. Everything out side the area of the spotlight was pitch black. Matty didn't need to hear the man speak to know who he was. It was his father Daniel 'Oz' Osborne, lead guitarist for Lunar Phase.
Oz cleared his throat as he tuned his guitar.
"I know I normally don't sing, or talk for that matter. But tonight's different. My son entered his first science fair today, and I missed it. I haven't heard yet on how he did, but I know he got first place. In attempt to make up for missing it I'd like to dedicate this song to him. It's an old James Taylor tune about traveling. So yeah, this is for you Matty."
Matty closed his eyes knowing what song his father was about to sing. Oz would sing it to Matty every night Oz was home form touring.
I don't have much to say
Thought I'd call you up anyway
Just to try to show you the way, that I feel today
oh I miss you Matty
"Matty sweetie, Daddy's on the phone," Willow called out to her son. Four year old Matty came running down the stairs. Willow picked the red-haired toddler up, placing the phone in his hands.
"Hi Daddy," Matty said into the phone
"Hey squirt, How was your day?" Oz asked his son.
"I helped Aunt Buffy and Uncle Angel slay a vamp," Matty said and though he didn't put any emotion behind it Oz could tell that his son was proud of himself. "Then I helped Grampa Giles translate. It wasn't as fun as staking vamps."
"I bet," Oz replied.
"What'd you do?" Matty asked.
"I spent all day on the bus," Oz answered.
"That doesn't seem fun," Matty commented.
"It wasn't. But you know what makes up for it?"
"What?"
"Talking to you," Oz replied. Matty's face broke into a grin.
I sure am on the road
I don't need to say much more
Just the same old well known stranger
That I was before
Seems like yesterday now
"Hey Dad," Eight year old Matty said answering the phone
"Hey, What's up?" Oz asked.
"You know that stupid project I was working on?"
"It isn't stupid Matty," Oz said.
"You have to say that because you're my Dad," Matty replied.
"I'm saying it because it's the truth," Oz told his son.
"Can you come?" Matty asked changing the topic
"What day?"
"Next month. The fifteenth," Matty told him. Oz groaned.
"Damn we have concert in L.A. that night. Matt I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. It's just a stupid science fair," Matty said softly.
"Matty..." Oz began.
"Listen I need to go. Aunt Dawn wants me to babysit Joy," Matty lied.
"Matt wait," Oz begged.
"Bye Dad," Matty said and hung up. He wasn't angry that his Dad couldn't come to the science fair. It wasn't like he was going to win anything. Besides there would be other science fairs.
'It's not Dad's fault he can't come' Matty thought to his self. 'He made a promise to perform, he can't back out just because I want him to come to the dumb Watcher's Academy science fair.'
Daddy's all gone
Only half way home
Holding on to the telephone
Saying please, don't let the show go on
"Oz make it quick the show starts in five minutes," Steve Framkin, Lunar Phase's stage manager told the werewolf.
"Just let me call Matty," Oz said tersely. He could feel the wolf in him want to come out. Steve didn't understand, he didn't have kids or a wife so he couldn't. Matty and Willow meant the world to Oz. He hated being away from them, and knew that Matty and Willow hated just as much though neither of them would admit it.
Some days it was all Oz not to do to just hang up his guitar and go home to his wife and son. But then he would go out on stage and realize why he did what he did. Music was in his veins, just as much as the wolf was. Music was what got him through each day he was away from his family.
"Oz three minutes," Steve said. "You better get ready."
"Damn it just let me call my son!" Oz yelled. "It's bad enough I missed his science fair, just let me call him and find out how it went."
"Okay man, chill," Steve said backing away. For a second Steve thought Oz's eye's went yellow.
There's a bus every other hour
There's even a midnight train
But that don't leave me the power
To see your face again
It's not that simple
See there's a room full of smiling faces
there's a man standing by the door
say's it's time to change our places
get down on the floor
Kill em baby
"Oz man we have to go out on stage," Devin said. Oz sighed and hung up his cell. No one was at home. He had even tried Buffy and Angel's, Dawn's, Giles's, Xander's, Faith's and Spike's. But no one answered.
"Damn," Oz sighed again and reached for his guitar, and handing his cell phone to one of the stage hands.
He was going to have to make this up to Matty, big time.
Daddy's all gone
He's just half way home
he's holding on to the microphone
Singing please don't make the show go on
"Devin I need a favor," Oz said approaching the lead singer during intermission
"What can I do for you my man?" Devin asked.
"I need to sing a song," Oz replied
"Singing please don't make the show go on," A sung a voice in sync with the video.
Matty's eyes then widened in shock. The eight year old werewolf/watcher in training whirled around. There stood his father leaning against the doorframe hands in his pockets. Out of habit He sniffed the air praying that his ears and eyes hadn't deceiving him.
"Dad," Matty whispered.
"Hey," Oz said a ghost of a smile crossing his face.
"I thought you were in L.A."
"I was," Oz replied.
"I don't understand," Matty said.
"I got your Mom to teleport me here. There's perks being married to the world most powerful wicca," Oz said.
"But don't you have a show tomorrow?" Matty asked.
"That's tomorrow. This is now," Oz replied. "I saw you got first place."
"You weren't there." Matty said his voice didn't betray his hurt and anger, but his eyes did
"I know. And that's going to change," Oz told his son. Matty's eyebrows rose in a questioning manner.
"You're quitting the band. Dad you can't."
"I'm not quitting. Once this tour is through, I'm taking a break," Oz said entering his son's room. He walked over to Matty and crouched down so the two were eye level. "I love music, Matty. It's a part of me. But so are you, and when if it comes down between you or music, it's going to be you."
"What about your fans? Won't they be disappointed?" Matty asked.
"Yeah they will be. But they don't matter to me. You do," Ox said brushing a stray piece of hair out of Matty's face.
"So my next science fair..."
"I'll be there," Oz finished. Matty found himself grinning and he launched his self into his father's arms.
"Come on squirt lets go downstairs Buffy and Angel are here."
"I didn't here them come in," Matty said.
"Listen harder," Oz told his son. Matty strained his hearing. From his room he could hear Angel and Buffy pull up in Angel's car, and Angel turn off the engine.
"Come on lets go. You are the guest of honor after all," Oz said taking his son's hand into his.
-Fin-
Please, Please Review
I'm thinking of doing another story with Matty. Let me know if you're interested